International voices - "They wanted him to beg for mercy" - Press fears Trump and the end of the West

International voices - "They wanted him to beg for mercy" - Press fears Trump and the end of the West FOCUS Online • 2 hours • 5 minutes reading time The international press reacts with dismay to the scandal between US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj. The end of the West has been heralded. A press review. "The Telegraph" (UK): "The Western alliance appears to be on the brink. What should have been a reconciliation between President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ended in a heated exchange in the Oval Office, with the Americans insulting Zelensky in front of the world. It was a terrifying scene that will have alarmed anyone in Britain and Europe concerned about the continent's security. Such a display of aggression by the White House towards a Western-oriented head of state, let alone an ally engaged in an existential military struggle, is unprecedented. Trump and Vance were undoubtedly wrong - factually, geopolitically and morally. The way they presented their arguments highlighted the fractures in the Western coalition and handed Vladimir Putin a propaganda victory." "De Telegraaf" (Netherlands): "The Ukrainian president was unusually confrontational, telling the Americans that they were putting too much trust in Moscow and that President Vladimir Putin had often broken his promises. The criticism was not well received. Trump even threatened to withdraw from the peace dialogue altogether. (...) Volodymyr Zelensky's attitude and accusations are apparently destroying more than British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron tried to build earlier this week. It is unclear what consequences this ranting will have for the security guarantees that Ukraine hopes to receive." "They wanted him to beg for mercy" "Kyiv Independent" (Ukraine): "Let that sink in. The president of a war-torn Ukraine, a US ally, has become the first leader in history to be thrown out of the White House. Not a dictator, not a disgraced politician - the president of Ukraine, a country suffering the worst invasion of the 21st century. The country to which the US government has vowed to bring peace. In an ugly exchange, the president and his vice president jointly rebuked Zelensky for not being "grateful" enough for aid to Ukraine. (...) But it seems that gratitude to the American people is not what Trump and Vance were after. They wanted him to beg for mercy and fall to his knees before Trump. Kiss the ring. Surely Zelensky would have done better to pull himself together and control his reactions, but in fairness say that he was put in a situation where he could not win. If he had let Trump and Vance (....) continue their attacks on Ukraine without protest, he would have been perceived as weak both at home and abroad. A country at war cannot afford to show weakness." "Europeans are on the menu of the imperialist powers" "El País" (France): "Volodymyr Zelensky's exchange of blows with Donald Trump and J. D. Vance in the Oval Office of the White House, live and in front of journalists, is the impressive symbol of the end of an era. It is the brutal confirmation of the abrupt change of course of the USA, both in content and in form, compared to the past 80 years. The meaning is clear. We are not only witnessing an American turning away from Europe, a gap in interests and values. The Europeans are confronted with the willingness of the USA to inflict great harm on us in collusion with other imperialist powers. (...) It is an arbitrary imperialist power that demands submission, homage and the acceptance of exploitative practices. One that agrees with Russia, Belarus and North Korea in the UN. That is what is behind the exchange in the Oval Office. (...) We Europeans are on the menu of the imperialist powers. If there was any doubt about the urgency, a clear message has arrived from the Oval Office. We must courageously rethink our place in the world." "While he put the knife to Ukraine's throat, he demanded of Russia..." "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" (Switzerland): "Trump's tirades have once again clearly shown Europeans where the American president and his government really stand.